


Deal or No Deal

by Bookshido



Series: Redeemers AUs [4]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: And they were siblings, Crossroads Deals & Demons, Demon/Human Relationships, F/M, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:48:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21890995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookshido/pseuds/Bookshido
Summary: Sixteen hours until she's a married woman. Desperate times call for desperate measures and while she's never been one for witchcraft, Atalanta will do what she must to keep herself and her brothers safe. Even if that means running off with a demon prince.
Series: Redeemers AUs [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576858
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

Attie dusted her hands off before wiping the tears she’d been letting fall. She felt foolish. Here she was standing, out in the middle of nowhere Texas in the middle of a field at 9 PM, shovel next to her on the ground. There was a small mound where she’d buried the box filled with what that forum post said to. Her driver’s license, a jar of dirt from the Rowena Cemetery, and the bone of a black cat. The forum post was sketchy at best, but the testimonies were clear.

If you were out of options, you could make a crossroads deal.

She shivered as a cold breeze blew by and wished she’d brought a coat. However, that chill didn’t compare to the ice in her veins when someone cleared their throat behind her. She spun, already pulling out her gun and pointing it.

“Whoa, whoa, let’s not be hasty here,” an attractive man in a suit with glowing blue eyes said with a drawl and a smirk as he raised his hands in the air. “Shootin’ me usually comes _after_ dinner.”

He gave her a smirk as he advanced towards her, an almost predatory look in his eye as he slowly circled her. Something hit deep in her gut: this man was dangerous and a trouble-maker if she ever saw one. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair and bounced his eyebrows, clearly wanting her to make the first move.

“Where’d you come from?” she asked, trying to keep the shake out of her voice.

“I thought it was obvious. You called and I came. Isn’t that what you were trying to do?”

“Yes…”

“Well, I’m here now. You know the drill, right, I don’t have to explain it to you?”

“Sell my soul. I’ll get my due.”

“Yes, and?”

“And then ten years down the road, I go to Hell when you collect on it.”

“Right on the money. It’s nice to deal with someone who _actually_ knows what they’re doing here.” He grinned at her, the hungry expression fading as he walked up and stood mere inches from the barrel of the revolver. “Think we can get down to business now? Without the gun?”

Hesitantly, she lowered the gun and tucked it back into her pocket. “Yes.”

“Let’s start with names,” he offered, extending a hand to her. “They call me King of the Crossroads and Maker of Deals, but _you_ can call me Thomas. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Atalanta Kilorine.” She didn’t take his hand and he smirked at her, drawing it back and into his pocket. “The King of the Crossroads? Why’d you take this case, it’s not like I’m that important.”

“I was in town, figured I’d take the case. So, _Atalanta_ , what’s a pretty little thing like you doing making a deal? No offense, but you ain’t exactly the type I see.”

He gave her another once over with a smirk. She shifted uncomfortably and then sighed. He was a demon, it was his thing to be charming as all hell. That or he was just being polite. She knew she looked miserable.

“I need you to help me get rid of my fiancé. Or get me away from here as fast as possible. Somehow. I don’t really care.” She couldn’t help it, the tears were already falling as she continued to speak. “I just… We’re getting married tomorrow and I don’t exactly have any other options right now-”

“Whoa, whoa, darlin’, just, take a breath,” he said, gently taking her face in his hands and giving her a reassuring smile. “Okay? I’m not gonna make a deal with you when you’re like this, okay? I may be a demon, but I’m not that much of an asshole.”

She nodded and took a few shaky breaths. He stepped back away from her and brought a strange looking silvery disc out of the interior suit pocket. Deftly, he began to flip it through his fingers as he waited.

“So, what exactly is this? A case of the cold feet?”

His smile fell the longer she didn’t say anything. He put the coin in another one of his pockets and stepped closer to her again.

“What did he do.”

“He hit me. He said he’d never cross that line.”

Thomas’s face became stone as he said, “They always lie.”

“I don’t have any money, he took all of it and made me quit my job. I walked here because he took away my car keys. My parents think the match is perfect, but I can’t. I just can’t. I snuck out of the house to go and do the research for this ritual at the library. This was my last shot. Will you make that deal with me?”

He went quiet for a little, clearly thinking this all over. Finally, he said, “You walked here?”

“Yes.”

“All the way from _Rowena?”_

“Yes.” She set her jaw as she looked up at him, summoning as much defiance as she could muster. “By myself. I told you: I’m desperate.”

She shivered as more cold wind blew by and Thomas quickly undid the buttons on his suit jacket. Hesitantly, he pulled it off and draped it over her shoulders. She pulled it around herself, already feeling herself relax at how warm it was. It felt like laundry, fresh out of the dryer, and she could faintly smell whiskey on it. Thomas adjusted his shirt and looked her over again. This time, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

“I’ll make the deal with you.” His voice was almost too quiet as he said it. “But I do have some things I want from you.”

“Not just my soul?”

“A promise and I have a request.”

“Okay? What’s the promise?”

“Promise me that you won’t stay home tonight, okay?”

She frowned, staring him down. “Sorry?”

“Don’t stay at your home tonight. Find someone to spend time with, make sure you are seen out and about and away from the home or wherever your fiancé is.”

Atalanta was about to protest, but then she saw how tightly he was gripping the disc that was in his hands again. She just nodded, pulling his coat even tighter around her.

“And the request?”

“Pack a bag tonight. Take everything valuable and then go to this address tomorrow morning.” He pulled a scrap of paper out of his pocket and scribbled on it before handing it over. “Someone will be waiting to get you the hell out of here.”

“What about my brothers?”

“Sorry?”

“I have two younger brothers,” she said awkwardly. “Alec and Ayerdryn. They’re still kids. My parents treat them both like shit. They’re doing the same things they did to me to them. Can I bring them too?”

“How old are they?”

“Ayerdryn is about seventeen. Alec is eleven. They’re good kids.”

He nodded. “Yes, if you can get them to the address and they are willing, they’ll have a space too.”

“Thank you, Thomas. You have no idea what this means to me.” She was fiddling with the ring on her right hand as she thought it over. “So… You take care of Finn, help me and my brothers leave town and in return, my eternal soul?”

“That’s how these things typically work, yes-“

“Then deal. Done.” She cut him off, throwing out her hand to him.

He looked surprised, but then cleared his throat. “Not even going to read the fine print?”

“No. Whatever it takes, I’ll do it.”

“Whatever it takes?”

“Whatever it takes.”

Thomas gave her a sort of sad smile and closed the distance between them. “You know, _ptáček,_ deals are traditionally sealed with a kiss.”

That seemed to give her pause, but after a moment’s hesitation, she pulled him down by the collar of his shirt to kiss him. He didn’t kiss her back at first, but soon pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. She did not expect to end up kissing a demon when this night began, but _god,_ it felt so good to be tenderly handled by someone.


	2. Chapter 2

Too soon, he pulled back, giving her an almost shy smile as he released her.

“Well… That was certainly… Not what I was expecting.”

She cleared her throat and adjusted her own blouse. “The deal is sealed then. Thank you, Thomas. Hope you have a good night.”

Atalanta tugged his jacket off, already shivering as she held it back out to him. He didn’t move, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you really think I’m gonna let you walk home alone?”

She thought about protesting, but what exactly was she going to say? _Uh, yeah, Mr. King of the Crossroads with unsettlingly good kissing technique, you may **not** walk me home?_

“Should probably be going,” she said, still holding the jacket out and starting to walk backwards. “He’s already going to be mad at me.”

He took the jacket and fell into step with her. She spun back to face front and they walked in silence for a little bit. She did jump when he put the coat back over her shoulders, freshly warm and almost smelling smoky now.

“Thanks.”

“Wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.”

“If I die, you get my soul quicker,” she shot back, then snorted. “Seriously though, thanks.”

“Like I said, I’m not an asshole, even if I am a demon.”

There was another gap of silence and then she asked, “So, King of the Crossroads, how’d you get that title?”

“Won it in a poker game.”

“You’re joking.”

“No.” He was grinning as he said, “Won it from the guy who made my deal.”

“You were human?” She looked over at him incredulously.

“Where do you think demons come from, _Atalanta?_ Not all of us can be Lucifer.”

“I guess that’s true… Who was your contract holder?”

“This guy named Benny Gecko. Wore a godawful suit, looked like a picnic table.

“What did you sell your soul for then?”

Thomas was quiet for a bit and then said, “My mom. She got real sick. Deal ended up only lasting a year before one of my… ‘friends’ turned on me during a robbery. Shot me in the back and took off with the goods. Can’t say I was surprised.”

“That’s a damn good reason to sell your soul.” She barely flashes him a smile, then frowned. “I’m sorry about your friend killing you though.”

“No, don’t be.” He snorted. “It’s better than what comes for you when you last the whole ten years.”

A shiver ran down her spine. “What… What are you talking about?”

“Hellhounds.” The joking tone evaporated. “They hunt you down and drag you to Hell, kicking and screaming. It’s… real nasty business.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

They continued the walk in silence until Thomas cleared his throat. “Let’s just get this over with. Where’s your house?”

“Um-“

“Nevermind, got it-“ and he placed a hand on her shoulder and a second later, they appeared in the bedroom she shared with Finn.

Luckily, the man himself was gone and she began to cough, muffling the noise behind her palm. Thomas glanced around, walking over and picking up the framed photo of them on the nightstand.

“Your fiancé is Finn Van Graff?”

“Yeah. Hell of a long name, huh?” She barely laughed, glancing over at the bedroom door nervously before looking back to Thomas. “Atalanta Julia Kilorine Underwood.”

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to give out your full name to demons,” he teased, setting down the photo.

“She would, if she made demon deals,” Attie said, barely cracking a smile.

Something lingered in his eyes as he looked her over. “Alright. Once you get packed, I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”

She nodded and went under the bed, dragging out her suitcase. Packing was quick. There wasn’t much left that she wanted to take with her. A couple changes of clothes, some of the family photos she hadn’t been forced to throw away. Her hidden diary, which Thomas had to watch her pull out of a carved out chamber in the mattress.

Too soon, she called, “Done.”

“Anything you want me to get from the rest of the house?”

“No.”

“Where we goin’?”

“I have a friend across town. Jakob Turner. We go way back. He owes me a favor.”

“Alright.” He paused, walking over so he was standing right in front of her. “You’re absolutely sure you have everything?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Good.” He took her hand and then they were standing outside of Jakob’s house.

“Yeah, this is the place,” she said, but didn’t move or drop her hand.

“If you ever need anything, anything at all, just call.” He didn’t let go of her hand either.

“How can I know it’ll get to you?”

“Because you’ll use my full name.” He leaned and whispered, “Thomas Volos Rosvodiz.”

“Mouthful of a name yourself,” she said, ignoring the shiver that ran down her spine not from the cold.

“Makes it easy to listen to people calling.”

“I’d think so. The same goes for you, you know.”

“What?” He sounded surprised.

“If you ever need anything on Earth, like if you need a mortal to help with something, just let me know, okay?”

He looked ready to protest, but then sighed with a small smile. “Of course.”

Hesitantly, he raised her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. She felt her cheeks heat up as he looked back up at her and smirked.

“Have a good night, Atalanta.”

“You too, Thomas.”

He gave her a wink and vanished, leaving her hand holding thin air.

It was only after he vanished that she realized she was still wearing his jacket. After a moment’s thought, she didn’t remove it and instead started up the walk to the house.

* * *

Across town, Thomas stood, cloaked in shadows as he watched Finn stagger drunkenly up to the front door of the house he formerly shared with his fiancé. He gritted his teeth as he watched the bastard struggle to find his keys and then the lock.

This was how this asshole was spending the night before he married her? If Thomas was in his shoes, he wouldn’t be doing anything except treating her like a goddess. He’d known this woman for only an hour and knew that she deserved better than him. _Anyone_ deserved better than him.

He was clearly going to be there for a while, so Thomas shadow-stepped into the dark house. It was still the cold and frigid, though Thomas could barely feel it. He marched right over to the locked liquor cabinet ( _This fucker even kept booze from her?_ ) and snapped off the padlock. He grabbed the biggest bottle in there and began to dump it, shaking it over the whole living room. When it was empty, he grabbed the next one and threw it against the wall. Cheap vodka ran down the wall and Thomas began to throw more bottles.

The scrabbling at the door got more intense and Thomas grinned as he hurled the last bottle towards the kitchen. Finally, the door swung open and Finn stepped into the home, blearily looking around. Thomas immediately went invisible, stepping out of his way so that Finn could stumble over to the now empty cabinet.

“Fuckin’- Ata, what the fuck did you do with all the alcohol?” he yelled over his shoulder. “Woman, answer me!”

Thomas gritted his teeth and without even thinking a knife found its way into his hand. He vanished it and just waited, letting the anger simmer. Finn huffed a swear and staggered towards the bedroom door. With a flick of his wrist, Thomas locked the door and smirked when Finn slammed into.

“Ata, I told you to never lock this door,” he hisses. “You wouldn’t want to make me angry, would you?”

That was the final straw and Thomas pulled a pack of matches out of his pocket. Finn turned right as Thomas struck the match, revealed himself, and cast it down. The carpet erupted in flames and Finn tried to shield his eyes as the house caught fire.

“Finnian Van Graff,” Thomas laughed cynically as he approached. “It has been _too_ long.”

“You-You’re dead,” Finn hissed, grabbing the nearest thing to him, which was a baseball bat.

“Yes. And you’re going to be soon.” He flicked his fingers and sent the bat flying into the wall. “I am going to enjoy every second I have you on my rack. I’d probably have shown you mercy if you’d just killed me, but you had to go and hit _her._ Now we’ve got a problem.”

“The hell are you talking about?” Panic was rising in his former best friend’s voice as Thomas continued to advance at him.

“Don’t tell me you forgot how we last spoke. You, gun smoking; me with a hole in my chest. You, making off with all the cash. Me, being left in a morgue until they gave up looking for family,” he snarled. “Being a traitor digs you a lot of holes, Finnian. Oh, and your fiancé sends her regards.”

“She did this? Once I deal with you, that bitch is dead-“

“I’d choose your next words carefully. I’m not in a bargaining mood.” Thomas threw his hand out and pinned Finn to the wall. “So, tell me: do you want to burn to death here or do you want me to show you your still beating heart? What if I slit your throat, right here and now.”

With each word, Thomas had been taking one step closer to Finn, who was still struggling and trying desperately to get away. Wriggling like a worm on a hook. Pathetic. Thomas grinned at him, leaning in real close.

“I know exactly how I want to kill you, Finn.” Thomas summoned Lucky to his hand and brought it up next to Finn’s face. “With my own revolver, leaving you here to burn until you’re unrecognizable. I can guarantee no one will mourn you. And then when you’re good and dead, I’m going to drag you to the bottom most pit of Hell and let you rot.”

Finn was actually crying now. It was nothing but pathetic and Thomas gave him a grin. “A quick death is too kind for you, but for Attie’s sake, I’m going to make this look like a burglary. Goodbye, Finn.”

“Wait, no-“

Thomas pulled the trigger and let Finn’s lifeless body drop to the floor. A reaper would be by soon, and he had to be out of there, but there was one last thing he had to do. He reached into his coat and pulled out a deck of playing cards. He reached in and pulled out a card at random. He flipped it over and under his hand, grinning when it turned to his crest.

With a burst of anger and adrenaline, he summoned the knife to him and plunged it into Finn’s chest. It pinned the playing card in place and he waved his hand at the fires next, grinning too wide as they began to consume the home. As fire trucks began to wail outside, he vanished into one of the dancing shadows on the wall.


	3. Chapter 3

Atalanta woke up the next morning in a place she initially didn’t recognize, but realized was Jakob’s house. She could hear him and Alice chatting and laughing together in the kitchen. She went to pull the blankets around herself, but then realized that she had apparently fallen asleep under Thomas’s jacket. She sat up and stared at it, running a hand over it and fiddling slightly with the embroidered crest.

_What a fucking night._

There was a knock at the door and Alice called, “Hey, Ats, breakfast is ready if you want it?”

“I’ll be right out,” she called, running a hand through her hair with a sigh.

When she finally emerged, Alice and Jakob were talking loudly in the kitchen and everything smelled like bacon. She took a seat awkwardly at the table as Jakob rounded on her.

“Ats, please tell Alice that melons should be harvested as late as possible so they can *ripen.*” He gave his wife a playful glare and she rolled her eyes.

“Would you please tell my adoring husband that melons should be harvested and then ripened,” Alice shot back, giving him a teasing scowl.

“Um, I do not want to be caught up in this,” Atalanta declared, serving herself some pancakes.

“That is a very good decision,” Jakob said, taking a seat at the table and tucking in as well.

Alice followed suit. Things were silent and then Alice was the first to breach the obvious.

“So… Today’s your wedding day.”

“Yes.” Atalanta was gripping her knife a bit too tight as she sawed through the bacon.

“And you’re here.”

“Yes. The wedding’s off, by the way. So you don’t need to go.” Atalanta shoved some more food into her mouth and didn’t respond.

Jakob and Alice shared a look and then Jakob gave her a reassuring smile. “Thank god, Finn was an asshole. So, what are you going to do? Does your family know yet?”

“No, but I’m going over to pick up my brothers after I finish this. I need to have some sibling bonding time.”

“Good. They need you in their lives. Do you need a ride over?”

“That would be great, thank you.”

\--------------

When they pulled up in front of her parents’ house, there were cars everywhere. After giving Alice and Jakob a quick request to wait outside, she brushed down the front of her shirt and went up to knock on the door.

Her father opened it and immediately pulled her inside.

“Atalanta, where the hell have you been!”

“I’m sorry, I ended up at a friend’s house last night-“ She tried to explain, but Charlie cut her off.

“No, do you even know what happened last night?”

“Uh, no-“

“Finn’s dead and your house burned down,” Charlie said, sounding much more angry than sad. “Where were you last night? Why weren’t you at home?”

“I… I told you, I went out with some friends-“

“And you didn’t listen to Finn and now he’s dead and you’re doing some kind of awful walk of shame!”

“I’m sorry, what-“

_Well, shit, Thomas worked quickly-_

“If you had been home, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Atalanta stared, gape-jawed at him as he sighed.

“Stop gaping at me, you’re right to catch flies.”

“Me being at home wouldn’t have stopped-“

“Well, maybe you could have bought him some time.”

She stared at her father in shock and scoffed, already feeling tears pooling as she hisses, “I’m here to see Ayer and Alec, not to get blamed for my fiancé’s murder.”

Charlie didn’t say anything else, but sighed irritably and headed off to the other side of the house. She stormed up the stairs and towards her brothers’ rooms. She could hear Ayerdryn practicing his violin and a pang hit her when she recognized the Wedding March. She knocked on the door and waited for him to come answer it.

“Oh, Ats!” Ayerdryn was already in his suit even though the wedding had been scheduled for the late afternoon and he was practically vibrating with excitement. “Happy wedding day!”

“Happy wedding day, can I come in?”

“Of course!” He jumped out of the way.

She walked in and shut the door. He was bouncing around, getting his instrument packed up as he began to ramble.

“I am so excited for today, and I’m so happy, aren’t you happy?”

“No, not really.” Ayerdryn’s face fell. “The wedding is off, Finn’s dead. I’m leaving home. If you want to come with me, you need to pack up your stuff and be ready to go in the next half an hour. I have to go and talk to Alec, so you have some time to think about it, okay?”

He shakes his head. “No. No, I’m going with you.”

“Wait, what?”

“No, I’m going.” He immediately went to his closet and pulled out his suitcase. “You should go get Alec.”

“Oh, uh, okay.”

She watched him for a little while longer as he began to pack up some clothing before she shook her head and went to the room next door. Alex was on the ground, playing with his Legos. As soon as she appeared in the doorway, he jumped up and ran over to hug her.

“Ats!”

“Hey, Alec, can I talk to you for a second, in private?”

“Sure!” He pushed the door shut.

“Okay. So, I’m not getting married today.”

“You’re not?”

“No. I’m actually running away from home.”

“Like Wendy? In ‘Peter Pan’? Or Annabeth Chase?”

“Sort of. Ayer is coming with me and I wanted to know if you wanted to leave home too.”

“Yeah! It’s an adventure!” He ran over and started picking up toys. “Can I bring these with me?”

“Sure,” she said, unable to keep a smile off her face as she walked over and grabbed his suitcase. “Might want to get packed. We won’t be coming back.”

“Okay!”

There was a lump in her throat as she went to go and check on Ayerdryn’s progress. He was seventeen. He knew exactly what he was doing when he agreed to come with. But Alec… He was eleven. Yes, he agreed to come with, but there was no way he was making a fully informed decision. But she couldn’t leave him here. Not with their parents.

When she pulled open Ayer’s door, he was sitting there, violin case in hand and his suitcase stood up next to him.

“Ready?”

“Yep. Where are we going?”

“Away. I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“No. I just have a promise.” She barely bit her lip.

“Alright. We sneaking out the usual way?”

“Yep. I’ll get the suitcases downstairs. Alec is coming too, you’ll need to show him the way out. I’ll meet you around the block, by the treehouse. Got it?”

He nodded and held out his hand for a fist bump. She reciprocated and gave him a reassuring smile. “Okay. Love you. See you soon.”

He nodded and she took his suitcase and started to haul it downstairs. She glanced around, looking for their parents. She could hear them talking with the grandparents in the study, but nowhere near her. She quickly put Ayerdryn’s suitcase out on the porch and went to check on Alec.

He was almost done too and was trying to fit his worn and dog-eared copy of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ into his backpack. She walked over and held open her purse.

“No, it’s okay, I can make it fit-“

“Alec. Let me help. Okay?”

He reluctantly handed it over and zipped up his bag. “Ready.”

“Okay. I’ll take your suitcase. You go with your backpack to Ayer’s room. He’ll help you sneak out and he knows where you’re going.”

“Alright.” He gave her a hug and whispered, “This is so cool!”

“Glad you think so. Okay, I’ll see you soon. Listen to Ayer, please?”

“’Course!”

He nearly ran out of the room and she sighed, hauling his suitcase downstairs. Her parents were nowhere to be found again and she headed out the front door, picking up Ayerdryn’s suitcase as she headed over to Jakob and Alice’s car.

“How’d it go?”

“Fine. Can you take me and these bags around the block to the treehouse?”

“Of course.”

He threw the car into gear and did a quick U-Turn before headed over to the treehouse that all the neighborhood kids had built one afternoon almost fifteen years ago. They let her out with well-wishing and waves and she gave them waves and a sad smile as they drove off. Ayerdryn and Alec showed up at the spot a few moments later, and not too soon.

“Alright, we need to get down to the Hall.”

Ayerdryn nodded and grabbed Alec’s hand. “Okay! Lead the way.”

They walked down the road, suitcases in hand and shoes scuffing in the Texas dust as they traveled the short distance to the address in question. There was no one in sight and she reread it, making sure she hadn’t gotten any numbers wrong.

_704 Edward St. Rowena, Texas. 12 noon, sharp._

“He said to meet here at this time,” she mumbled, flipping the paper over.

“Do you know who’s coming?”

“He said-“

A cold breeze blew by, making her shiver even though it was a warm mid-seventies day in the damn near middle of Texas. It was a familiar chill and she immediately looked up as the shiver ran down her spine, not finishing her sentence.

A glistening black Cadillac was rolling down the street, it’s driver tapping out a simple rhythm on the steering wheel. It was all Atomic Age curves and chrome and looked like it had just rolled off the line in Detroit. There were a pair of silver dice hung from the rear view that seemed to swing in perfect harmony with the beat. The hood ornament was a roaring dragon, clearly custom made.

This car had clearly been taken care of and she could hear it just purring as it got closer. It rolled to a stop on the opposite side curb and the sole passenger stepped out. There was a flash of silver as a disc flipped through fingers that almost seemed to turn to bone in the sunlight.

“Thought he said he was going to send someone else to pick us up,” she mumbled, unable to stop staring.

“Ats, who the fuck is that?” Ayer whispered, glancing at the car and its smirking driver.

“Our ride. Come on.” She picked up her suitcase and strode across the street.

Thomas was standing there with a stern expression that faded when he saw them, wearing the suit, sans jacket, and a pair of black aviators. The reason for the glasses was immediately clear when he dropped them down his nose and gave her a wink. Obviously, the blue glow was a permanent thing and she tried not to blush as he gave her a grin.

“You look even better in the light of day, _ptáček,”_ he said, putting extra emphasis on the clicking of that word. “Hope you slept well.”

Ayerdryn immediately gave Atalanta a _look,_ one that clearly was trying to read the situation and get any answers. She shot him one back that clearly said _we’ll talk about this later_ and he shot her another that said _we’d better._ Alec remained oblivious, still playing on his phone.

“So do you, Thomas, and thanks. I did.” She gestured at the boys. “These are my brothers, Alec and Ayerdryn.”

“Nice to meet you.” He gave them a well-meaning grin that Ayerdryn returned with a glare and Alec with a wave. “Lemme get those bags for you.”

“Oh no, I can get them,” Atalanta protested, starting to pull them towards the trunk.

“No, let me help-“

“I *got* it-“

“Come on, you might scratch ‘er-“

“I won’t-“

Atalanta finally won when she hauled her and Ayerdryn’s suitcases into the trunk and gave Thomas a defiant grin. He backed away, hands up in mock surrender as she walked over and took Alec’s suitcase and loaded it in too.

“Oh, by the way, you left this,” she said, unzipping her suitcase, pulling out the suit jacket, and extending it to him.

“Was wonderin’ if I’d ever get that back.” Thomas pulled it on with a grin. “Though I wouldn’t have minded if you held onto it.”

“Not really my style. Besides, it looks better on you.”

“You flatter me, Attie. Still not convinced. Last night, you looked pretty fine in it.”

She glanced over at her brothers, avoiding eye contact with the charming demon as her cheeks began to go pink. Ayerdryn arched an eyebrow that clearly said, _Attie?_ and she shot him a glare. Thomas watched this all with a bemused expression and stepped away from the trunk, turning on his heel. He pulled open the door to the back seat and gestured for people to get in.

“Alright kids, load up.”

Ayerdryn made a beeline for shotgun after Alec got into the back, but Thomas stopped him.

“Sorry, kid, but your sister’s already got it.” He flashed her a grin which she returned with a small, almost shy smile that Ayerdryn immediately took in.

After Attie shut the trunk, she came over, adjusting her shirt. Thomas gave the teenager a wry grin and then opened the door for Atalanta to climb in. She did so and pulled her purse out of the way.

As soon as the door shut, Ayerdryn leaned in and hissed, “I don’t know who the hell you are or how you know my sister, but if you hurt her, I will hurt you. Understood?”

Thomas stared at him in disbelief as the teenager pulled the car door shut and settled in with his brother. He sighed and strode around to the other side of the car, sliding into the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life without him even touching the keys and Ayerdryn glanced between him and Attie with a suspicious look.

“Alright, let’s get the fuck out of here.” He put it into gear and pulled away from the curb.


	4. Chapter 4

The first night, they stopped in El Paso. After a very unsatisfying stop at McDondald’s, the humans in the car were getting pretty hungry right around 5:30 and Thomas pulled into the valet line of one of the fanciest hotels Attie had ever seen.

“Alright, we’re staying here for the night,” he announced, rebuttoning his suit jacket and running a hand through his hair while he looked at it in the rear view.

“Whoa, wait, what?” Attie protested, climbing out after he did. “There’s no way we can afford this-“

“It’s on me, darlin’. Consider it a part of the _deal.”_

That shut her up and he gave her another shit-eating grin. She huffed and helped Alec out of the back-seat. Ayerdryn was looking highly suspicious as they made their way inside and Thomas headed straight for the front desk.

“Okay, you need to talk,” Ayerdryn hissed as soon as Thomas was out of earshot.

“What is there to talk about, Ayer?” Attie asked, looking in her purse pointedly.

 _“What is there to talk about?_ Who is this guy? What the hell does he do? Why did he just agree to help you and us get the hell out of the house? Where are we actually going? You do have a plan, right?”

“Thomas is a… friend and-“

“Did you cheat on Finn with him? He’s a step up, believe me, but I just want to know.”

“God, Ayerdryn, no,” she huffed. “I don’t even like him.”

He gave her another one of the looks and she glared right on back.

“Okay, fine, but for the record: I’m calling it now.”

“Noted, asshole. What else do you want to know?”

“Is he rich?”

“I-“

“And these are all of our keys to the Presidential Suite,” Thomas announced, handing out the cards. “Don’t lose them, please. I do have a reputation to uphold.”

Ayerdryn stared at the keycard and then looked up at Attie, then over at Thomas, who was looking very proud.

“You’re my new favorite person besides Attie,” he declared, getting up and grabbing his violin case. “To the elevator?”

“Hell yeah, but let’s get the bags first,” she said, adjusting her purse.

Ayerdryn looked away from Thomas and back to Attie, while her eyes were on him the whole time. In a flash, he vanished and reappeared with the bags and whistled to get the others’ attention. Ayerdryn blinked in surprise and then looked back at his sister, then back to the bags. She just shrugged and gave Thomas a glare when her brothers went to grab their bags. He was just grinning unapologetically and handed her her suitcase.

“M’lady.”

“Thanks.” She hesitantly took it.

“After you.”

Ayerdryn was leading the charge for the elevators with Alec in close pursuit and Thomas fell into step with her.

“You know, you really shouldn’t be so reckless,” she mumbled.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The vanishing and reappearing. Someone might see and then we’d have to deal with that mess.”

“I’m very discreet, sweetheart.”

“Sure.” She rolled her eyes as she joined her brothers in the elevator.

Thomas waltzed in and leaned up against the wall, pushing a button that Attie hadn’t even noticed at first. One all too long and awkward elevator ride later, they stepped out into a hallway that had one pair of double doors.

Ayerdryn squealed, “I’ve always wanted to do this!” and raced over to swipe his card first.

“Hey! Let me do it!” Alec protested, running after his older brother and pushing him out of the way.

“Hey!”

Ayerdryn hip-checked him only to have Alec try to tackle him. Ayer let out a very ladylike squawk and began to try and yank Alec off by his foot.

“Hey, hey, knock it off,” Attie snapped, walking over and yanking the two apart. “This is a nice hotel. Act decent, for like, two seconds, okay?”

“Sorry, Ats,” they both mumbled.

“Now come on. Thomas is paying for this, he should be the one to open it.” She beckoned him over.

“Aw, come on, I was just beginning to enjoy myself,” he whined.

“Why Thomas? I’m sure he’s done this a _million_ times,” Ayerdryn complained.

“Because I said so.”

“That’s stupid.”

 _“You’re_ stupid,” she shot back.

_“You’re stupid-“_

There was a beeping noise as Aec swiped his card and pushed the doors open. It was a lavish modern hotel suite and Ayerdryn raced for the balcony with a gleeful squeal. Alec ran into the bedroom area and began to list off all the cool things he was finding, including chocolate on all the pillows.

Attie stood awkwardly in the sort of foyer area and set down her suitcase with a sigh. Thomas pulled the doors shut and walked to stand at her shoulder.

“Aren’t you going to go explore?”

“There’ll be enough time for that later. Besides, I’ve never exactly been in a place like this before. And they deserve to have a good time.”

“You do too.” He gave her a small, almost fond smile. “Hear me out: you, me, dinner tonight. We set the boys up with a whole bunch of movies and as much candy as they can eat so you actually have a nice night out. I mean, tonight you were supposed to be having a big party.”

She stared at him for a second and then shook her head tiredly. “I really shouldn’t-“

“Come on. When’s the last time you actually did something for yourself? It’s not a date or anything, just two… friends going out for dinner to celebrate the end of an absolutely terrible relationship.”

She looked like she was about to argue with him and then sighed. “Okay.”

“Excellent. You might want to change into something more comfortable. I want this night to be about you,” he said with a grin before vanishing.

A moment later, Ayerdryn came marching up to her. “Okay, we need to talk about your mobster boyfriend-“

“He’s not my boyfriend-“

“Aha! So you don’t deny he’s in the mob?”

 _Hell is a mob, sort of, but-_ “Look, I don’t know what he does for a living and I don’t want to.”

“You’re a terrible liar, Ats, but I don’t care if he’s in the mob or not because this place is amazing!” He started jumping up and down. “Can Alec and I order room service? _Please?”_

“Yeah, go for it. I’m sure Thomas won’t mind, just make sure to order him something.” She gave him a tired smile right before he ran off and picked up her suitcase with a low grunt.

However, a hand met hers gently and also gripped the handle. “Attie. It’s okay.”

She glanced over at Thomas who was giving her probably the most genuine smile she’d seen him wear. It sort of rubbed her the wrong way and she pushed away the side of her that wanted to smile back and just let go and let him take care of her tonight.

“You always take so much interest in your contracts?”

The smile only barely fell as he cleared his throat and stepped back. “No. You’re a special case.”

There was that same look in his eyes again and she was about to push him when he turned and walked into the suite, calling for her brothers. Ayerdryn hollered back that he was on the phone and Thomas shot Attie a grin before going, presumably to go mess with him. As soon as he was gone, she set down her suitcase and sat down, scooting back to lean up against the suite door.

_Fuck. What had she done?_


	5. Chapter 5

Keeping Ayerdryn and Alec busy for the night was actually much easier than she expected. As soon as she announced that they were going to grab dinner, Ayerdryn asked if they could order room service and Thomas gave them a big smile and told them what every kid wants to one day here: _Yes, get whatever you want and put it on my tab._

The two of them slipped out when the first carts were arriving and once they were alone in the elevator, he asked, “So, how do you want to get to the restaurant?”

“Whatever is easier for you.”

“Alright. So, my way then.”

He grabbed her shoulder and in the blink of an eye, they appeared on the street outside of a modern, clearly expensive restaurant. She nearly stumbled, but his hand didn’t move and he stabilized her with a smile.

“I’ll never get used to that,” she mumbled.

“You think so?” He offered his arm to her.

She took it and rolled her eyes, “I mean, if you keep surprising me with doing that, then yes.”

“Then I’ll just have to start letting you know when I do it, won’t I?”

A thought lingered there as they approached the front doors. _Was he really going to stick around long enough for something like teleportation be ‘normal?’_ There was no way he didn’t have other cases, other deals to make, Hell to run. So what was he doing, wining and dining a broke runaway ex-bride with two little brothers to look after? Why was he taking the time to open doors for her, still flashing that charming smile that was now so much more genuine than before?

“I love this restaurant,” Thomas explained quietly as they headed in. “It’s a very special place for me.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“…I’ll be sure to tell Al you said that.” They had reached the hostess by now and he flashed her a smile. “Hi, table for Rosvodiz? And guest.”

He wrapped an arm around Attie’s waist and she was at first surprised, but then

“Yes, Mr. Rosvodiz, your table is ready, please follow me,” she said, beckoning at them and heading into the restaurant.

As they passed through the dining room, Attie felt her skin begin to crawl. She was probably the most casually dressed person there. Thomas looked like he fit right in with all these people wearing their diamonds and pocket squares. But his hand didn’t leave her waist and he never stopped smiling and she couldn’t help but smile too.

The waitress stopped next to a table tucked back in the corner and with a nod, headed back to the front. He pulled out Attie’s chair for her before taking a seat himself. She looked over the setting and frowned. Roughly carved into the dark wood were the letters T.V.R. They looked like the kind of high school graffiti she’d expect from back home and not from the dapper demon she’d come to know.

“Did you do that?”

“Hm?” He glanced up from the menu.

“These letters. You carved them, right?”

“…Yes.”

“And this ‘Al’ still lets you just come into the restaurant?”

“Yes.”

“So you guys are close?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to answer with more than one word?”

“No.”

“…You know, this dinner is gonna be real boring if you don’t answer something.”

“I’m _trying_ to decide.” He gave her a playful smile and then sighed, setting down the menu. “Okay, okay, let’s try and make the small talk. You first?”

“What’s the weirdest deal you ever had someone make?”

“Hm… Probably the Playmate guy. He wanted to become Hugh Hefner. Took some finagling, but Hugh ended up lending him his body for a day or two. Hugh’s one of Hell’s oldies, you know? Owes a lot of people favors.”

“That is not where I expected you to say it went,” she said, starting to laugh.

“I mean, I had the people who wanted a non-stop supply of apples for them and their descendants?” He shook his head. “Get some real weirdos when you start messin’ with black magic.”

“Am I one of those weirdos?” Attie teased.

He gave her a wry grin. “The more I get to know you, yeah.”

“Oh, come on, I’m sure you meet people like me everyday.”

She was still laughing and he was too, but only to a certain extent before his gaze lingered on her. “No, I don’t.”

“So what I’m hearing is that every single day, you run into young women trying to get out of terrible engagements and looking to run away from home and are willing to sell their souls?”

“Now, I didn’t say that-“

“Hi, welcome to Thomas’s Place. You, the absolute bastard, what can I get you?”

A responsible looking man man with a grin and wearing a chef’s jacket had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and placed his hand on Thomas’s shoulder. Thomas was on his feet in seconds, grabbing the man in a huge hug and laughing raucously, which was a far divergence from the overall serene tone of the place. She was still processing the whiplash from the restaurant being called _Thomas’s Place_ and then the outpouring of affection between the two men.

“You know exactly what I want, you son of a bitch,” Thomas laughed, grinning as he pulled back.

“Of course. And for the maiden fair,” the man asked, giving her a grin.

“Um, I’ll have the cowboy ribeye with glazed brussel sprouts and a glass of your cabernet sauvignon,” she said, setting down her menu.

“Brussel sprouts? And here I thought we were gettin’ along.” Thomas grinned.

“Look, they taste good, okay-“

“Woman, are you insane-“

“Thomas, you gonna introduce me to your friend?” the man asked with a laugh.

“Yeah, uh, Attie, this is Al. Alaric. My brother. Al, this is Atalanta.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” she said, extending a hand to him. “This is a beautiful restaurant and all the food smells amazing.”

“And you as well. The menu was designed by a… person close to me.” Al shot a look at Thomas and Thomas just kept up his sunny smile before he cleared his throat. “So, how do you two know each other?”

“Work,” Thomas said, waving his hands around vaguely. “You know the _deal._ And all that. Met on the _road. Called_ each other up-”

“Yes, I know your line of work quite well.” He gives Attie an almost sympathetic smile and asks, “So, how long have you been down there?”

“Sorry?”

“How long have you been down in H-E double hockey sticks. Not terribly long by the looks of you.”

He was peering at her eyes in a very odd and almost prying way. She kept the eye contact but was quickly unsettled and cleared her throat.

“Actually, I’m human,” she said, flashing him an awkward smile. “Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m as human as the day I was born…” He was trailing off, fixing Thomas with a hard stare. “She’s _human?”_

“Yes…” Thomas met his gaze with an equally hard stare. “So, how’s the restaurant doin’? Love what you’ve done with the place.”

“It’s fine and thanks. Um, can I talk with you? In private?”

“Sure. I’ll see you soon, Attie,” Thomas told her with a reassuring smile before following his brother off.

* * *

“The hell are you doing?” Al hissed once they were out of earshot.

Thomas adjusted his tie. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“With her. A _human._ I thought you’d said you’d never date humans-“

“We are not dating.”

“Okay, sure. Still rest my point: I’ve never seen you in here with anyone mortal. Not since-“

“Maybe I’m changing my style, okay?”

“You are the most stubborn son of a bitch I know. You are so damn set in your ways. Hell, you still sit at the same table every time you come back here. You have a regular order. Why her? What’s so special?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m just giving her and her brothers a ride and then a place to stay until they get on their feet.”

 _“Just_ that?”

“Just that.”

Al stared him down and Thomas stared right back. However, he ended up breaking first as his younger brother continues to stare at him.

“…Just that.”

“Sure. Sure. Keep tellin’ yourself that. I’m your brother, Thomas. I know when you’re lying to me. And yourself.”

“I never lie to myself.”

“Hm. Don’t bullshit a bullshitter, Thomas.”

“Hey, that’s my line!”

“Yeah, and so was hit it and quit it. Just… Stay safe, okay?”

“I will, I will. You worry too much.”

“You are dead.”

“Point taken. Look, I’ll be fine. I’m just going to drive her and her brothers to Vegas and then get things arranged and send her on her way. It’s just business.”

“Sure… Sure. Keep tellin’ yourself that. Look, I have to get back in the kitchen, just… Maybe actually be honest with this one? She seems different. You’re different around her too.”

Al clapped him on the shoulder and headed back towards the kitchen. Thomas stood there for a moment, thinking over what he said. Then, with a heavy sigh, he went back to the table.

* * *

Attie was still there, as he expected and was taking a long sip from her glass of wine. She greeted him with a smile and put it back down quickly.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, he was just asking about the menu,” he lied, waving vaguely. “It’s fine. How’s the wine?”

“Decent. I’m not really a wine person. More of a hard liquor fan. That or cheap ale.”

He gave her a grin. “Looks like something we’ve got in common after all, _maly ptáček_.”

“Suppose so.” She was smiling back at him, something almost mischievous lurking there. “So, I hate small talk. And this is supposed to be a fun night. Want to do twenty questions? Or Truth or Drink?”

“Truth or drink sounds real fun.”

He gave her a grin right before their food arrived and the rest of their time at the restaurant was quiet and just good. Before they knew it, Al was clearing away the plates, giving Thomas a stern and knowing look as he snorted and nearly inhaled some bourbon, which only made Attie laugh harder.

It was too soon when Al was kicking them out. Attie hadn’t even noticed that the other patrons had all cleared out and the kitchen had fallen into silence until Al was standing there, escorting them outside the front door.

“You may be a Prince of Hell, but you’re still my jackass older brother and even you have to go home. Wherever that is,” he said sternly.

“Oh, come on,” Thomas whined, grabbing his shoulder. “What about the old days?”

“In the old days, you were alive. And this was your restaurant. You entrusted it to me.” He scowled. “This isn’t a boneyard. Go bother someone else for a while.”

“Aw…”

“Come on, Thomas.” Attie grabbed his arm and started to pull him away. “Thanks for dinner, Alaric, it was very good.”

“Course. And please, call me Al.”

“Alright, Al. I’ll make sure he gets home safe,” she promised, shouldering Thomas’s weight when he stumbled and nearly fell.

“Thanks. Though, I’m sure he’s just faking.”

Thomas straightened up with a scowl. “I resent these blatantly true accusations-“

“Good night, you two.” He turned with a wave and headed back inside.

“So… Back to the hotel?” Thomas gave her a grin.

“I mean, I don’t have anywhere else to go right now.”

There was a quick flash and they were standing on the balcony of the hotel. She turned around quickly, glancing through the glass with a worried expression, which softened when she saw her brothers curled up together on one of the beds, surrounded by a pile of candy wrappers and some kind of show still going.

“I popped in to check on them earlier,” Thomas whispered. “They were out about an hour ago.”

“That’s really sweet of you. Not very demonlike.”

“I am pure evil. I am the darkness in the shadows,” he protested, looking indignant.

She began to laugh and he started to too, the sound infectious as the twin sounds bounce off the glass and back.

“Thanks. For everything.” She turned back towards him with a smile. “Tonight was… The most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

“In a Finn shaped long time?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m glad I could be there for your first night out on the town.”

“Me too.”

She finished the rotation and looked out over the El Paso city lights. She leaned on the railing with both arms, leaning out just a little over the edge as she looked.

“Beautiful view.”

“Mhm.” He stared out over the city as well and then glanced over at her.

He met her gaze, seeing with surprise, that she had been watching him with this small smile. She looked away and back over the city, the smile vanishing. He took a hesitant step closer, leaning on the rail in the same way she was.

“You know. You were starin’ at the wrong view.”

“Didn’t even notice.” She glanced back over, barely smirking.

He watched her, the tension growing before he gave her that same sad sort of smile. “Have a good night, Miss Kilorine.”

And then he vanished, leaving only the lingering smell of bourbon and ash and her alone as the warm wind returned.


	6. Chapter 6

Zeldrad was waiting for Thomas when he popped on to the Immaterial Plane.

“My lord.”

“Zeldrad, my main man,” Thomas said with a grin, spinning to face him. “What’s up? How’s it been? Haven’t seen you in an eon-”

“You done messing around with that mortal?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He gave Zeldrad a tighter smile as he adjusted his tie.

“I know you well enough, Thomas Rosvodiz. Did you manage to get lucky this time at least?”

“She’s not like that,” he said stiffly, any form of civility fully gone. “And it’s none of your business.”

The other demon arched an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re growing to care for her?”

“I’m not,” he scoffed. “We’ve known each other for literally a day.”

“That never bothered you before.”

“Well it does this time, okay?” he snapped. “Besides, we made a deal. I don’t mix business and pleasure.”

“Hm. Show it to me.”

“What?”

“Show me her contract.”

“I haven’t drawn it up yet.”

Zeldrad arched an eyebrow and pulled a ghostly scroll out of his pocket. “Then let’s do it. Right now. Put your money where your mouth is.”

Thomas stared at him for a moment and then nodded curtly. “Alright. Fine. Let’s do this.”

Zeldrad was much sharper than Thomas thought. He’d been putting off making Attie’s contract because… Well, he wasn’t quite sure why. He could have done it the night she summoned him, taking the fragment of soul he’d snagged off her and her full name, willingly given, and made an ironclad contract with a beacon for the hellhounds to follow that she could never outrun. Maybe it was a sense of pity for her and her situation, maybe it was in the way she’d fit so easy with him, or maybe it was just pure boredom and wanting to see how long this would last.

But now it was do or die. The contract required a bit of soul and the vial in his breast pocket was beating in tune with her current heartbeat. Slow, reassuring, and strong.

Fuck. Why did he have to _feel_ things?

Zeldrad was an ancient demon, one of the firsts. He absolutely would be able to tell if the sliver of soul was fake. Then he got a horrible, awful idea, and flipped out his soul cutting knife.

“Got it, right here,” he announced, giving Zeldrad a proud grin as he pulled a tiny vial with a fragment of soul out of his pocket. “Sorry, so many pockets.”

“Mhm.”

“Alright, you ready?” He walked over and held it out to him.

Zeldrad took it and examined it with a scowl. It seemed to match up to his standards and he nodded.

“Let’s put it in my name, shall we?”

Thomas blanched. “Hold on-“

“What? She’s just another soul.” His raised eyebrow was a clear challenge.

Thomas gave him an awkward half-smile and just nodded. “Go ahead. I’m already over quota anyways.”

Zeldrad waved his hand up and down. A scroll appeared and Zeldrad summoned a quill, which he handed over to Thomas. He then held out the open scroll for him.

“I want this contract in your name. Sorry, changed my mind again.”

Thomas swallowed, have Zeldrad what he hoped came across as reassuring and took his pen to the contract.

_I, Thomas Volos Rosvodiz (King of the Crossroads), affirm this soul contract with the undersigned Atalanta Kilorine, in exchange that in the course of one year, they will suffer an eternal torment until they should choose to join the ranks of the demons and the legions of Hell. With this piece of soul, this contract is signed._

“One year only?” Zeldrad was giving him a very judgemental look.

“What can I say? I’m impatient. Besides, like you said, she’s just a soul.”

The elder demon shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. Let’s just get this done so I can file it.”

“That good enough for you?” he asked, signing on the dotted line with a flourish.

As soon as that happened, he staggered, feeling like he’d been punched in the gut. Zeldrad watched him, keeping that infuriating eyebrow raised.

“Are you alright, my lord?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Thomas frowned as he blinked and Zeldrad seemed to be flicker for a second. “Um-“

“-look alright,” Zeldrad said, looking all too smug as he began to glitch in and out. “Check-“

“You’re gonna have to repeat that!”

“Checkmate.”

Thomas suddenly appeared on the mortal plane. He spun around and blinked. He was in front of the hotel that he’d checked Attie and her brothers into. His car was parked right where he’d left her. He was wearing his usual attire. But something was… Off. Horribly. Biblically. He could feel it. And it wasn’t just the fragment of his soul missing that he’d giving Zeldrad instead of Attie’s. He could feel that one in the pocket still.

He suddenly realized what it was. He was sweating in the evening breeze and this suit. He looked down at his hands, which were already shaking. They looked normal. The panic was already rising as he felt them, flipping them over and over, feeling the skin and flesh and blood and warmth coming off of them. He already knew it was a long shot when he pointed at a trash can and tried to will it to explode. Nothing happened.

“Oh _fuck.”_

* * *

When Attie answered the door, half awake and still in her pajamas at around four in the morning, the last thing she’d expected was to be nearly mown over by a very frantic Thomas Rosvodiz. He slammed the door shut after her and threw the locks.

“Attie! Thanks, um, I need to sleep.”

“Don’t demons not need sleep?” She frowned at him, still a bit dazed from the whole encounter. “And can you keep it the fuck down? Ayer and Alec are still asleep.”

“Oh shit, sorry-“ and he lowered his voice. “Look, something went horribly wrong and I’m human now. All we have to do is get back to my place in Vegas and I think I have someone who I can get to help fix this, but right now, I’m human.”

She blinked at him slowly and heaved a sigh. “Great. And what does that mean for me?”

“It means… Well, I have some hidden assets, but that means things aren’t exactly going to be presidential suites and steak dinners.”

“Fine. Okay. Can I go back to bed now?”

“You’re much less concerned than I thought you’d be.”

“I mean, welcome back to the real world.” She shrugged. “Sorry, I’m sure the shock will hit in the morning, but for now, I’m just going to go back to bed.”

She shuffled off in that direction with another big yawn that Thomas caught himself mimicking as he pulled off his suit jacket and started to undress. Then he paused, unable to decide if the issue was a good thing or a bad one.

There were only two beds in this room. One for the boys and one for… _Oh no._

Attie had fully expected Thomas to come over and hop into bed, probably staying on his own side, that or getting way too close and saying her name in that way he always seemed to. She didn’t expect to hear him stumbling in the dark over to the couch in the main suite area. Heaving a sigh, she rolled out of bed, pausing only to check and make sure the boys were asleep before shuffling over to the couch.

Thomas was curled up uncomfortably on the leather surface. He was clearly too tall to stretch out all the way and he was actually shivering. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to notice her approach. He actually looked sort of sad. That gave her pause. This was the man who she’d sold her soul to. A literal demon. And now he was human, It sort of hurt to see him like this.

“Hey.”

He froze, slowly turning to look at her. “Hey, Attie. Everythin’ alright?”

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to sleep.”

“You’re never going to sleep like that. Just come on and get in the bed.”

“No, I really shouldn’t-“

“It’s for one night and you shouldn’t be cold.”

“I’m fine, really-“

“Thomas. Come on.” It wasn’t scoffing and a clear order.

Heaving a sigh, he got up off the couch and followed her over. She climbed in first, taking a position over on the far right side of the bed. She could hear him kicking off his shoes, then presumably getting out of the whole suit get up. Why hadn’t he taken it off to sleep in the first place? God, this man was a disaster-

He slipped into bed and stayed on the left side of the bed, shifting around a little bit to get comfortable and sighing before settling. Hesitantly, Attie shifted so she wasn’t fully on the edge of the bed and sighed, adjusting her grip on her pillow. Somehow, she managed to drift off.


	7. Chapter 7

Thomas woke up and immediately noticed that he’d woken up with his arms securely around someone’s waist, holding them close to himself, and he had one leg resting snugly in the nook between this other person’s legs. Cracking open an eye, he recognized the back of Attie’s head. His immediate thought was to bolt away from her; he _had_ grabbed her in the middle of the night. The other part, the part that was winning was saying that she was still asleep and this was very warm and cozy and maybe-

“Hm?” Attie began to shift and let out a small groan as she shifted. “What the- Thomas, wake up.”

“I’m up, I’m up,” he grumbled, also making a small groaning noise as he scooted away and into the _cold_ side of the bed. “Ugh, what time is it?”

“11:00,” Ayerdryn’s peppy voice said, with only a hint of condescension. “Hope you two _slept_ well last night.”

Thomas squinted at the teenager, who was fully made up, hair combed and neatly braided and wearing a very nice flowery blouse combo. He was perched on the edge of the bed he and Alec had been sharing and was staring at them with a judgmental expression.

“This is not what it looks like-“

“Is it, _Attie?”_

Attie climbed out of bed, shooting her brother a death glare as she grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom. Thomas watched her go and then looked back over to Ayerdryn who was staring him down with a truly terrible bitch face.

“You should put a shirt on,” he said bluntly.

“I- Ugh…” Thomas groaned, rolling out of bed and fumbling around for his shirt.

There was silence for a little bit before Ayerdryn said, “What exactly are your intentions with my sister?”

Thomas froze. “Nothing.”

“Mhm. So you just _accidentally_ woke up all wrapped around her like some kind of… octopus?” Ayerdryn’s voice had been getting more indignant with each word.

“Take it or leave it, it’s the truth. For once.”

“Mhm.”

“Look, if you’re tryin’ to give me the shovel talk, you don’t need to.” Thomas finished buttoning the top. “Attie and I are not a thing.”

“You really expect me to believe that when she’s skipping town the day after she was supposed to be married to that- that _shitbag_ Finn with you and taking me and Alec with us? Are you her other man?”

“What? No, I barely know her.”

Ayerdryn raised an eyebrow. “Oh, *you barely know her*-“

“Not like that!”

“Look. Atalanta can and will cut you if she feels threatened. But if you ever treat her the same way Finn did, I will cut you. Into pieces. And chuck you into the river.”

“Believe me, I’d want you to do the same if I did that.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to hurt her, okay? She’s real sweet and all, but isn’t exactly my speed. I’m more of a rough and tumble, love ‘em and leave ‘em type.”

Ayerdryn snorted. “Then you do not know my sister. Look, she’s probably going to try and sweep you off of your feet. Just… if you really don’t like her, let her down easy. And if you do let her… I’d better not hear the sound of you two- _gyrating_ at three in the morning-“

“Who said anything about ‘gyrating’,” Thomas exclaimed, feeling heat rush up the back of his neck.

Attie returned from the bathroom at that very moment, still looking very awkward as she said, “How did you sleep, Ayerdryn?”

“Well. Until about four in the morning when someone started knocking on the door.” He gave Thomas, who was now about half-dressed, another glare. “And interrupted my beauty rest.”

“You are beautiful enough without the beauty sleep-“

“Do you even _know_ how long it takes me to look like this, Atalanta?”

“Yes, very well.”

“Well, sucks for you since you’re gonna be stuck in a car all day, little man.” Thomas ruffled Ayerdryn’s hair as he went past.

“Hey! Don’t touch the hair!”

“Sorry, sorry.” He gave Attie a grin. “Shall we get on the road?”

“Sure.” She went over and started packing up.

Ayerdryn hopped off the edge of the bed and went over to help Alec pack while Thomas just sort of stood there. He frowned and suddenly realized that he was actually hungry. Like, properly, truly hungry. He looked around and spotted a bowl of fruit. Aha, an orange-

“What the hell are you doing?” Attie asked.

He paused, teeth already sunk into the peel and tried to speak around it. “…Nothin’.”

“What the actual fuck,” Ayerdryn asked, just staring at him in horror.

“Okay, I can explain-“ He said removing the fruit.

“That was the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Look, I used to do this prank when I was… undead where I would do that and it was a lot easier then-“

“So you’re telling us, right now, that you just *bit into an unpeeled orange* out of *habit?*” Ayerdryn asked.

“…Yes.”

“Can you never do that again?”

“I’ll try not to, Pipsqueak.”


End file.
